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DETROIT — While he hasn’t quite yet become a household name to Michigan fans, 2022 Grosse Pointe (MI) South five-star defensive back William Johnson assuredly will be once that class’ recruiting becomes the central focus.
The son of former Wolverines standout Deon Johnson, Will was offered by the Michigan coaching staff all the way back in February of last year. Since, his recruitment has started to take ahold, with offers from the likes of Penn State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Now that 247Sports has its initial wave of 2022 rankings, Johnson has the distinction of being a five-star, rated at No. 11 overall.
But why is that?
WolverinesWire spoke to SMSB co-founder and director Curtis Blackwell, the former MSU director of recruiting, about what makes Johnson such a special prospect. He lumped him in with another high-end in-state talent, noting how both aren’t afraid to put in the effort to continue to ascend and make themselves better in the process.
“Will is a worker!” Blackwell told WolverinesWire. “Will and Jamari (Buddin), what makes those guys special is that they come here in between basketball practice. So they’re two-sport athletes that go here and then they leave straight from here and go straight to basketball practice. That tells you what kind of student-athletes they are in terms of working and trying to be the best.”
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Beyond that, Johnson is studious when it comes to what he does off the field.
While he’s anticipated as a cornerback, Blackwell says that he could actually find himself playing safety at the next level, given his talents.
As a dual-sport athlete, it’s helped Johnson’s instincts on the football field immensely. And, of course, as Blackwell notes, having NFL genes running through his veins also helps his cause.
“Will is also like a 3.5 student, so he has great academic prowess,” Blackwell said. “But he’s also getting better on the field in terms of being like a safety guy. He’s playing safety right now, and I think that really might be where he has an opportunity to play at the next level. Because he has great natural instincts for catching the ball. You see him on the basketball court, he’s explosive. He’s reverse dunking right now, only in the tenth grade. I think Grosse Pointe South has only lost one game. He’s the leading scorer on their team. His uncle was drafted by the Miami Dolphins, his dad played for the Dolphins, played at Michigan. So it’s within his bloodline. He’s been at these camps since he was eight years old. Will competes in every opportunity he gets. I just think the ceiling is the limit.
“He’s one of those guys, because he’s played basketball and did other sports that he’s not really over-camped himself. So he’s still fresh and has a lot of upside to go. He’s still growing and developing. So when you look at his film, he’s just scratching the surface of what he can be. But his ball skills separate him, his length and his size makes him really unique.”
Watch his sophomore film below:
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